The Worldwide Hot-Air Airship Reference 
has been created to provide a comprehensive online resource recording the various hot-air or thermal airship projects from around the world.

This on-going collaboration between Jon Radowski and
John Christopher of Airship Inititaives also aims to focus attention on the hot-air airship as a viable lighter-than-air craft which is well suited to serving a number of roles from high-profile advertising to environmental/scientific missions, aerial filming and photography and even tourism.
 
The world's frist successful hot-air airship made its maiden flight on 4 January 1973. Built by Cameron Balloons the D96 was a very basic craft, but over the ensuing years several manufacturer's have produced their own designs and many of the hot-air airships of today have performed very successfully on both promotional contracts and scientific and environmental tasks.